As the temperatures rise and storms rumble through, some might be tempted to turn to a home generator for when the power goes off. But there are some important things homeowners need to know about how to use a generator safely.

While the number of overall outages caused by Friday’s windstorm dipped to around 7,000 customers without power, Tuesday night’s mix of rain and snow exacerbated the power outages around the D.C. area.

Following the harshest windstorm the D.C. area has seen in five years, power companies are hustling to get the lights back on for customers throughout the region, but it may take days for the power to be restored fully.

Winds toppled trees and power lines, leaving hundreds of thousands of customers without power Friday. The damage prompted Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to both declare states of emergency.

The worst of the wintry precipitation is over, but chilly temperatures could mean treacherous driving conditions and even windchills in the single digits. There’s also a small chance of a few snow showers. Several counties have canceled school. Others are on a two-hour delay.